A Different Kind of Brother
by ZebrasEatMyPants
Summary: A long series of one shots (130) pertaining to Ace and Luffy. Ace is a different kind of brother to Luffy and vice versa. They hold a bond that goes beyond your typical brotherly attachment. This should be updated twice a week or more, depending. Warnings: Rated M for sexual content, swearing, and graphic violence. AU
1. Chapter 1

Prompt 1: Lock

Unkempt from a restless attempt at sleep Ace staggered his way down the moonlit hallway. For about the third time this week he found himself trembling from the painful memories that lurked in the corners of his thoughts, waiting for night to fall and for Ace to slip into the grip of sleep.

Relentless night terrors would invade his dreams making him toss and turn until he fell off his bed. The sudden cold feeling of the floor against his uncovered torso would awaken him. He would then kick out of the tangled sheets, and stand up with shaky limbs, while wiping the sweat that had formed on the nape of his neck. With images still shadowing his thoughts, Ace would begin his labored trek to his younger brother's room.

For reasons he could not pinpoint, Ace always found himself looking upon his brother's sleeping form. Luffy always seemed peaceful when he slept, contrasting the animated boy that existed during his conscious hours. The only disturbance that would taint the tranquil state of his brother would be the occasional mumble of words-mostly about meat, pirates, or Ace-or the slight change in sleeping position.

If it were any other night, Ace would only watch his brother for a short while before he would return to his own bedroom, but tonight he didn't have the desire to be alone again. The plagued dreams that haunted Ace tonight were worse than normal. He knew that regaining restful dreams would not be plausible for the remainder of the night.

"Meeeat," the word, drawn out and slurred, penetrated the silence of the night. Ace stifled a small laugh as his brother began drooling at the fanciful meat he must have been imagining.

Ace, as silent as he could have managed, treaded over the Luffy's bedside and lowered himself to the ground. With his legs crossed and his back against Luffy's nightstand, Ace watched silent recollections of the terrors that inundated his slumber. The images of mocking laughter and accusing stares blotted his vision as a younger, more defiant version of himself stood with his hands on his hips and a fuming look plastered on his face. Taunts and insults of his blood line were thrown around, and the child was growing aggressive.

Fading into another memory, Ace's mind began to dig out the scarred, pitiful childhood memories. A new illustration came into clarity. Under a broad oak tree sat a small boy, with his knees up to his chest and his hands clenched turning his knuckles pale. A look of pure disgust-something that should never be upon an innocent child's face-was evident as he cursed himself. He truly hated himself. In his deep midnight eyes, anyone could see the self loathing pooling and spilling out of them.

_Why was I born? Did I deserve to be brought into this life?_

These questions tortured and tormented the boy. The feelings of hatred and revulsion toward him were never ending. A constant loop of disgust. No matter much his caretaker or the small amount of kind souls left tried to convince the boy that he wasn't any of these things or that he didn't deserve the insults thrown at him, those negative feelings never ceased. Many days the boy found himself sitting under the oak tree locking himself with his own world self detest. Nobody was ever able to unlock him from this mental padlock. Nobody had the key. The child was trapped, crushing himself under the weight of this bolt, and sooner or later, the lock was going to suffocate the child. And nobody could help him. No matter how much prying and lock picking was attempted, nobody could release the child.

After countless weeks of wallowing in hate and dejection, the boy was introduced to his younger brother. At first, even his brother couldn't break the lock, but he was persistent with his attempts, albeit most of his trying wasn't intended. To the boy, this brother of his couldn't possibly feel the same thing; they were only adoptive brothers, after all. He couldn't feel the same displeasure that was emitted from people towards his kin, as he did.

Days when the boy would be alone under the oak tree were gone, much to his dismay. The younger brother would sit next to the child, working on the lock that contained his brother. No amount of insults or attacks from the locked boy could pull the little one away from his elder. Much to the surprise of their caretaker, the younger boy managed-throughout numerous days-to unlock the impeding deadbolt caging his older brother. With all the effort he could muster, the elder sibling began to open up to the younger on.

Within days, the two siblings were out from under the tree, breaking the obstructive pattern that had developed. The boy, who originally saw no reason for his existence, now chatted with his brother about their similar loves for meat and mischief. A key had been found. The lock had been opened. The boy was free.

Something smooth caressed Ace's left cheek, dispersing the bitter images of a broken past into the air. With a side glance, he spotted the culprit. Luffy's hand, having fell during a shift in positions, dangled from the bed. Even in an unconscious state, Luffy knew how to unlock Ace and set him free. Ace slipped his hand into Luffy's, intertwining their fingers. He hoped his brother knew how much he appreciated him. Without him, Ace would still be struggling against the heavy weight of the bolt. Luffy was Ace's solution; he was his liberator. Even through all the doubt that had formed, the lock found its match, and released its captive.

After all, every lock comes with a key.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **I would just like to thank those who read, reviewed, and followed. It really made me happy to see my first attempt at One Piece fanfiction to go so well!

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Prompt 2: Snow

Light from the slowly rising sun crept its way through the windows, bathing the toned torsos of the D. Brothers. Accompanying the sun, snowflakes sauntered from the sparse clouds, adding to the already accumulated white fluff that fell during the night. Yawns forced their way to Ace's mouth, winning the battle of suppression against the lingering sleep. Not wanting to wake up just yet, he kept his eyes closed and held onto the fading clutches of unconsciousness. Judging by the warm feeling pushed up against Ace's midsection, Luffy was probably curled up next to him.

Another yawn was produced from his mouth, and the last slivers of sleep escaped back into the recesses of his mind. A tired, shaky hand stretched out toward his sleeping brother, ruffling his hair as he blinked at the scant beams of light that showed through.

"Luffy," Ace's words were drenched in sleep, his voice unstable from the period of rest it had just endured, "Come on, Lu. Wake up."

Without another word, Ace rolled over and swung his legs to the edge of the bed. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Ace stifled another yawn as his glanced back at his still dormant brother. Bearing his signature smirk, an idea rolled into Ace's sleep-clouded brain. It didn't take a second thought to convince him to push his resting kin off the bed.

_That'll wake him up_. His thoughts soon led to action as he rose from the bed and gripped the underside of the mattress. With one swift motion Ace - using every bit of strength that he could muster at such an early hour - jerked the bed up and snickered as he brother slid off the side, landing on the floor with a distinct thud.

"Ah!" Luffy sat up as Ace let the mattress fall back into its place. He was chortled at the confused look on Luffy's face as he surveyed his surroundings with a sleep-induced haze in his eyes, "Why am I on the-"

Before Luffy could finish his inquiry, he passed back out on the floor and into a slumber. Rolling his eyes, Ace moved to where his brother had fallen. Luffy's snoring filled the empty morning air, as Ace grumbled to himself.

_I get that narcolepsy runs in the family, but can't he ever just wake up in the morning. For the first time in months we both get be home together; and he wants to sleep it all off. _Ace, rubbing his fingers through his raven black locks, looked out the window at the blanketed ground. Just as before, an idea crept its way into his forethoughts as the snow continued to fall. _If the cold floor won't wake him, snow will._

Maniac laughs strode from Ace's lips; with sneaking steps, he made his way to the door, down the hall, and right through the front door. Scooping up a handful of white powder, he narrowed his eyes when it melted at his touch. Ace stood up with a sigh and returned to the house to search for a bucket. He stopped when a new solution arose._ Why bring the snow to Luffy, when I can take Luffy to the snow?_

Striding back through the house, Ace entered the bedroom with cautious steps. Even though Luffy was a heavy sleeper, he couldn't waste such a golden opportunity to mess with his younger sibling. As gentle as he could manage, Ace gathered Luffy in his arms and glided back through the still open front door.

With a sneer on his face, the older of the two threw his brother in the freezing snow. The usual delay that Luffy encountered when he was put into a freezing climate stayed true to him, and after a solid minute, Luffy's reflexes kicked in.

His eyes flew open with surprise as his lungs filled with a lingering shout. "Cold! Why am I so cold?" Luffy threw his arms around his uncovered torso, shivering with the fierce temperature change. Glancing around him, Luffy searched for any possible reason that hinted at how he got into his current ordeal. Once he saw his howling brother Luffy locked his gaze on him, vowing to get revenge.

Ace, bent over from his constant spurts of laughter, tried to compose himself enough to speak his reasons, but a snowball interrupted his attempts at compiling and his continuous string of chuckles. Charcoal black eyes snapped up to see a challenging younger brother wielding snowballs in each hand.

"Baka, snow doesn't affect me to the extent that it does to you. I can turn myself into fire, Lu. Hands down this battle will be mine," Ace's words were slapped with a cocky confidence to match the leer that was planted on his face.

"Ace," Luffy's eyes sighted in on his older brother, "I will win this battle, regardless of your abilities." His words were paired with a look of pure determination.

Idle banter was cut to the sparse battle cries as the two brothers squared off with each other. Snow, packed into careful spheres, was flung back and forth, and trails of retreat and attack were strewn throughout the once undisturbed snow. Luffy, now behind a large tree trunk was catching his breath from the harsh winter air, and Ace began to take this opening to bombard his brother with the finishing blow.

Approaching the tree Ace gathered as much snow as his hands could hold and packed it as tight as possible. As the elder drew closer and closer to the tree, Luffy's impending defeat came with it. In attempt at a desperate final defense, Luffy gathered solid spheres in his hands and launched himself around the tree, targeting Ace with the snow that was stored in his arms.

Ace melted every attack that was aimed toward him, and he prepared for his counter attack. Lunging himself at his younger brother, Ace tackled him to the ground and stuffing his face full of snow. With a look of triumph, Ace claimed his victory over his brother.

"See? Told you that I had this in the bag," Ace melted the snow that was once in his sibling's face, smiling at him when his faced was finally revealed.

"Eh, you had an unfair advantage," Luffy avoided Ace's gaze, looking anywhere but at his older sibling.

Studying his brother's features, Ace leaned closer to Luffy's face and whispered, "What sort of prize do I get for winning?" Ace's breath, warm and intoxicating, was ricocheted off of Luffy's mouth as blush faded onto his cheeks.

The look of vulnerability that encased Luffy at that moment was enough to capture Ace for a lifetime. His cheeks were tinted with an embarrassed paint. His nose was red from the biting, frosted air. Melted snow drenched his features with a glistening sheen that reflected the peaking sun. And his lips. Ace focused on the plump, soft, pink feature. Oh, how soft they looked.

_I wonder if they taste as they look._ The thought of just one taste enticed Ace for wanting more and more.

Leaning down Ace pressed his lips to his brother's, savoring the cold, icy feeling that they gave off. Luffy, taken aback by his brother's sudden change in mood, gasped for a last breath of air before he, too, tasted Ace's lips. The kiss was slow and sensual at first, each boy relishing the taste of the other; sporadically, one would graze their tongue across the other's lips capturing a true flavor of the other.

Arms locked around Ace's neck as Luffy demanded more of his taste, more of him. The once leisurely kiss soon became more heated and lust-filled. Ace, moving his lips in a rhythm to match Luffy's, demanded an entrance into his mouth. He nibbled on the bottom of Luffy's lip as the younger let out a soft moan of pleasure.

Once gaining the access that Ace wanted, he let his tongue explore the frigid cavern that was growing warmer with each passing second. Each of their tongues took their turns at dominance; each danced with a grace that only the two knew. Lungs burning and heart rates rising, the two lovers broke apart with a large intake of breath.

A smile full of pleasure was dripped on Ace's face as he breathed out his words, "I think… that that…. was reward…enough." Ace shifted his weight onto one arm as the other ruffled his brother's hair.

Rising from his position on Luffy, Ace offered a hand to his brother, "Now come on, Lu. Let's get you warmed up. And maybe some meat."

"Meat! Sounds good," Luffy nodded and took Ace's outstretched hand. Not letting go of the hand, Luffy and Ace wandered through the front door and into the kitchen for a nice meaty breakfast.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**: Again, I would like to thank those that read/followed/reviewed. It really means a lot to me to see people enjoy my writings. Now, I know I said that I would post two a week and all, but an unexpected family matter has appeared so I'll try and do one a week.

**Warnings for this Chapter: Smut (Not much. I mean like very little, but I'm still warning) and Language**

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Prompt 3: Water

Darkness lingered at the extremes of Luffy's vision. It crept along the sides of his fading view as his eyes stung against the foreign water that assaulted his nerves. Limbs thrashed, to no avail, against the overpowering water. Clutches of the souls lost at the bottom of the ocean reached their pale white hands out to welcome their newcomer. Death roamed above the sinking boy; the presence of the looming shadow was an overbearing one. He waited. Soon, the final beats of the young boy's heart would cease, and he would be embraced by the still reaching hands.

"Join ussss." Their voices, rasped and a whisper, called out to Luffy, tempting him to join their ranks. "Luffffy." They continued to call out to him, raising pale hands to try and sink Luffy down to their home within the depths of the sea.

The sun, in the high noon position, fragmented itself when it grazed the surface of the water causing the illusion of multiple glowing orbs in the sky. Luffy absorbed the sight of daylight, as he knew it would be his last. Sinking into the homes of the other victims of the unforgiving waters, he accepted his fate. He knew that there was no returning to the surface that he so longed to see once again. He was an anchor, and right now, Luffy was weighing down his life - bringing it to a halt.

Regrets of his life filled his forethoughts. There weren't many, but they still existed. Most of them were petty, not truly regrets, but there was one qualm that held his attention. One that he wished he could set straight. Knowing that he would never see his brother's face again hit Luffy hard. It made him think of all the life adventures they were going to share and all of the memories they had yet to make.

Ace's face, childish yet plastered with a scowl, snaked into Luffy's thoughts, and the sinking boy closed his still stinging eyes. He would miss his brother. They're adventures, they're trivial arguments, they're comforting moments – albeit those were rare – all of it, he would miss them. Luffy wasn't sure if there was a heaven or not, but he knew that anywhere without Ace would be his own personal Hell.

Luffy held on to the image of Ace a little longer, relishing in the soft features that decorated the tanned complexion. Freckles, prominent against the complexion, were scattered along his cheekbones, and a smirk – unique to Ace – formed on his lips. A warm feeling, that of deep admiration, pooled in Luffy's stomach as he recalled the warm touch that Ace always produced.

The earlier regret made itself present once again, tugging at the fading consciousness of Luffy, demanding his clouded attention. He had always known that what he felt for Ace was more than a brotherly connection. Blush always found a way onto his cheeks when Ace was around, and his heart would rise in his throat, constricting his words. All of it was wrong, Luffy knew it, but the desire that nagged at his being around Ace was too tempting to dismiss.

If only once, Luffy just wanted to have a taste of his brother's mouth; he wanted to kiss the smirk from his lips and replace it with a slightly parted mouth, allowing him entrance. But now Luffy would never get that chance, he would never get to squeal in excitement again at his brother's mischievous plans that he always seemed to conjure up. Now, he would never again get to snuggle up close to Ace during the nights that their night terrors become too much to bear alone.

Ace. He was the one person that could change the very being of who Luffy was. He could change Luffy's mood in a matter of seconds; he could make Luffy drop anything just to have more brotherly time together. They were inseparable; it was as if they were one being, one soul. And now, as Luffy sank deeper and deeper and deeper, he realized that death would deprive him of all these joys, of all these wonders.

Although one would not notice, a silent tear found its way into the mix of salt water, soon to be forgotten and lost. Luffy wanted – more than anything else – to just find his way back up to the surface and to see Ace one last time. He tilted his head towards the place he so longed to be and opened his eyes, ignoring the dull sting that followed.

Death must be teasing him with the wants he so badly desired, for he could have swore that just above the surface – blocking out some of the diffracted lights – the body of his brother loomed. It looked as if it was searching for something lost, a look of complete worry on his youthful face.

"Ace," water filled Luffy's mouth as he uttered his last word. A word of such longing and remorse. Just as Luffy's mind slipped into the state of near-death, the figure dove in the water, sending white bubbles to scatter around the intruding being.

_Ace. _Eyes shutting and lungs screaming for air, Luffy flitted into unconsciousness.

Warm hands cradled around Luffy's limp figure as Ace sprinted towards their home. He was fighting back tears and the urge to just unravel right then and there. To think that his dear brother would have been gone had Ace not just happened to walk by his usual fishing spot. It scared him to no end. There was so much still left for the two to do together in life; there were still memories to make.

The paleness of Luffy's face was unreal and the limpness of his body due to the struggle was deathly frightening. Ace gripped his hands a little tighter and sped up his strides; he couldn't let Luffy die. Not yet.

Bursting through the door, Ace screamed for their caretaker to hurry and come here. "Help," he said his voice hoarse and breathy from all the physical effort that he had put out. Luffy was soon taken from his arms and set on his bed with care. The tears that were held back before free flowed down freckled cheeks as Ace dropped beside Luffy's bedside.

Overwhelming thoughts of what could have happened dominated Ace's thoughts and tears found their way down his face. Ace pulled his knees to his chest and wept as their caretaker worked on reviving the unconscious boy. Tremors encased him as he silently regretted not accompanying his brother earlier in the day. If only Ace had put aside more time for his dear brother, this would not have happened. A small feeling of regret began to form in the bottom of his gut. It was small, but it was present, nonetheless.

If Ace would have lost his brother today, he would have never gotten to tell him what he truly felt. Luffy, to Ace, was more than just a brother, and he couldn't help but have blush color his freckles when Luffy was around. One innocent look from his brother and Ace would melt into a puddle right then and there.

Of course, it was wrong, even if they were only adoptive brothers. That's what held Ace back on most occasions. He knew his brother could not feel the same way.

_I mean how could he?_ The question always bothered Ace. He knew that his brother could not, and it always hindered Ace's confidence. Longing always tugged at his gut whenever he got the urge to blurt his love out to Luffy, but that one thought always reeled his desire back in to a manageable level.

Coughing shook Ace out of his inner struggle, and with a hopeful gleam in his eye, he shot his glance up to his waking brother. Luffy coughed and spat water out of his mouth between heaving breaths.

"H-h-how," the word was labored and coated in confusion. Luffy eased his hand up to his head to scratch it. Ace rose to his feet and grabbed his brother in his arms.

"Luffy! How could you be so reckless?" Ace's words were laced with relief as he tightened his grip on Luffy. He dismissed their caretaker with a nod.

"S-s-sorry," Luffy was trembling from the sudden shock of being alive and awake.

"No, no. Don't worry. You're fine now, and that's all that matters."

"Ace…"

"Yes, Luffy?" Ace could feel the apprehension in his brother's voice and curiosity nibbled at his thoughts.

Hesitation filled the younger brother as he snuggled his face into the crook of Ace's neck. Ace could feel soft tears travel along his collarbone; he buried his face in Luffy's raven black locks.

"Take your time, Lu. I'm not going to leave you alone. This will never happen again, I promise," Ace's muffled words seemed to comfort the younger, for his trembling ceased to an almost unnoticeable magnitude.

Soft cries echoed throughout the room as Luffy let all of his past worries of never seeing his brother again out through salted tears. When he finally pulled away from Ace, he smiled with timid eyes as his locked contact with Ace's midnight orbs. With a deep breath, Luffy finally spoke.

"Ace, I…" still tinted with hesitation, Luffy's words were fumbled and forced, "I love you."

Blinking a few times Ace replayed the sentence that just came out of Luffy's mouth. Could he be really saying what Ace thinks he is, or is it just an innocent comment? Much to Ace's dismay, it was probably the latter.

"Lu, I love you, too," Ace knew those words didn't hold the same meaning, but they needed to be said – regardless of what his younger brother meant.

"No, not like that. I meant that I _love _you. More than a brother ever should." Luffy avoided Ace's widening eyes.

Ace ignored the urge to just smash his lips against his brothers, no matter how tempting it was. Luffy couldn't possibly be saying this, saying those words. There was no way that they came from such an innocent child's mouth.

"Lu-"Ace was cut off by a pair of hungry lips. A pair of hands tangled themselves into Ace's hair, locking him in place as Luffy quelled his desire.

At first, Ace didn't respond; he didn't give in to his desire. This was all too surreal for his liking. How could his brother, Luffy, feel the same way as Ace did? Digging his fingernails into his palm, he came to realize that, this indeed was all really happening. Luffy was kissing Ace. He felt as if he could soar through the clouds and no amount of physics could stop him.

Without a second more of holding himself back, Ace moved his lips against his brothers' as they fulfilled their long suppressed wants. Climbing up on the bed, Ace laid his brother down and hovered over him. With gasping breaths, the two brothers broke apart and stared into the other's eyes. This moment was long awaited for both, and it was such relief to find out the other felt the same.

"Lu," Ace ruffled his younger brother's locks and smiled. Nothing could ruin this moment for him. Nothing.

"I needed to get that out," a small amount of embarrassed paint formed on Luffy's cheeks as he glanced away in shame, "When I was sinking, all I could think about was you, and when all my regrets made themselves present, the one that really nagged me was that I never told you about what I felt for you. I mean I get that you probably don't feel the same way, but I couldn't help myself. I ju-"

This time it was Ace's turn to cut his brother's words off. Lowering himself onto his younger sibling, Ace chuckled against Luffy's lips – which were gaining more color with each passing minute. Everything about this moment was perfect. The way that Luffy's breaths were hard and labored against Ace's hunger filled kisses, the way that Luffy's hands were tangled in Ace's hair, the way that warmth pooled and overflowed throughout his body, the way the Luffy squirmed under each and every touch: they were all perfect. It was as if the two siblings belonged together.

Their bodies fit together with perfection as Luffy arched his back of his bed, closing the gap between the two lovers. Gliding his warm hands under Luffy's soaked shirt, Ace felt every ridge and plane of his brother's muscled stomach. When Ace reached Luffy's nipple – already pert and soaked with sea water – a small moan was released from the younger's mouth.

That moan sent Ace into even more of an erotic state. How could his innocent brother make such an endearing noise? Taking advantage of his brother's open mouth, Ace slipped his tongue in and took the dominant position. Exploring every part in reach, Ace's tongue took the lead with the passionate kiss.

Fingers, shaking with nervous fits, untangled themselves from Ace's hair, and began to claw at his back with need. With his own hands still roaming over his brother's torso Ace sat back from his brother, positioning himself against Luffy's groin. Each brother was panting from the heated moment, and Ace's hands stopped their exploring. Each button on Luffy's red vest was undone with quick movements of Ace's fingers.

Ace needed to feel more than just a soaked shirt under his torso. He needed to feel Luffy's own muscled body underneath him as he finally subdued all his yearnings. Once the water logged vest was discarded, Ace lowered his face towards his brother navel gliding his tongue up the toned torso. He stopped his travels when he reached his brother's chest, a glaze of lust covering his eyes as he traced each nipple with care. Moans, lust-inducing and erotic, escaped from Luffy's mouth; his hands gripped Ace's messy locks.

Looking up to his unraveled brother, Ace smirked, "You know Lu, if you keep making those noises I'm not going to know when to stop."

Once again, Luffy arched his back, pressing his bare chest to Ace, "I c-can't help it. It just feels so right." Each word was breathy and coated with audible aches for more.

Just as Ace was going in for more teasing, a voice, not belonging to either brother sounded throughout the house, "Ace! Luffy! Get your asses in here for dinner!"

A sigh produced itself from Ace's lips. It reverberated off of his brother's chest. Snaking his way back up to Luffy's face, he laughed at the interruption.

"Leave to Dadan to interrupt something just as it was getting good," Ace smiled at his visibly disappointed brother, "Don't worry, Lu. I promise that we can continue where we left off later."

With those last words, Ace dragged himself off his brother and offered a hand to lift Luffy up. As Luffy accepted the hand, Ace pulled him close – slamming their bare torsos together. Leaning down towards his brother's ear Ace nibbled slightly at the lobe before speaking.

"After we eat, you are all mine. No exceptions," his voice was low and caused Luffy to moan at the seductive tone that dripped from it.

Pulling back from his ear Ace smirked and let go of his brother, "Now, get a new shirt on and let's go to dinner before Dadan decides to kick some ass," and with that Ace smirked and strode out of the room, leaving his brother breathless and wanting more.

Once Ace closed the door behind him, he pressed his back against the wall and took a deep breath. He could not believe that Luffy felt the same way as he did. Euphoria pumped through Ace's body as he raked his hands through his hair. Who knew that such a small, innocent boy could cause Ace to unravel so quickly.

With more of a skip to his step, Ace wandered down the hallway towards the kitchen. Oh, how he couldn't wait until after dinner.


End file.
